


Devotion of the Damned

by Lockedinwithlife



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Family Bonding, Family Issues, Fluff, because whats klaus without being in between emotions, he supports his siblings even if they dont help him as much as they could, its light hearted but sis im making it sad, klaus deserves the world thx, klaus is such a happy sad person, light hearted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-18
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2020-01-15 19:08:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18505231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lockedinwithlife/pseuds/Lockedinwithlife
Summary: Klaus Hargreeves used to think his power was the ability to make his family smile.---Or the fanfic where Klaus makes everyone happy throughout the years





	1. Chapter One: Six and Three

**Author's Note:**

> For reference: the parts in this chapter are not necessarily in chronological order :)

Klaus Hargreeves used to think his power was the ability to make his family smile, because that's what he did. If someone was sad, Klaus would be ready and willing to make a silly face or be a shoulder to cry on. Even for Luther, who never seemed to let his guard down.

 

One of Klaus's most coherent memories of this is was Ben stumbling into his room, crying at 3 in the morning. They were still pretty young, but Ben’s power had already started showing itself. Ben was clawing his chest, screaming silently. Thankfully, there were no killer tentacles coming out of him, but Klaus got the feeling if he didn’t do anything by to get Ben to cool down, it’d happen soon.

 

“Hey, hey Six, Six, what’s the matter?” Klaus grabbed at his brother in the darkness. “OK there tiger, slow down. I need to you to breathe for me, okay?”

Ben seemed to wake up from his fear, but his breathing stayed rapid. Klaus kept his hands on Ben’s shoulders, though they felt awkward and misplaced. 

 

“Hey, that’s pretty good! I knew you had it in there. Let’s sit down, okay?” Klaus directed his brother to his bed. They sat, and the ball of yarn that had been laying on the mattress rolled off, string following as it rolled into the hall. 

 

“Well, that's a start on our family blanket.” Klaus exclaimed, trying to make a joke in the tense situation. It wasn’t very funny, but Ben, desperate to laugh and stop crying, was hysterically giggling. Klaus grinned from ear to ear, happy to see his brother taking slower and slower breaths.

 

“It’s going to be as big as the living room floor! That way we can fit Pogo, mom, and dear old dad under it too. We’ll make hot chocolate while dad stares us with his big silent glare,” Klaus mocked his father’s normal face. Ben laughed, tears still on his face. They sat there for a while, before Ben made his way back to his own room. 

 

They didn’t speak of it the next day, but it wasn’t the last time the situation happened. Klaus was grateful for that; they had enough seriousness to last them hundreds of lifetimes, and if sharing some tears and laughs made it a little better, he wasn't going to screw it up.

 

\---

 

Allison always seemed to float into a room; she would breathe life and beauty to every room she went into.  Klaus was always a little jealous of how fluid she got to be, and of how she got out of almost all trouble. She would batter her eyes, mutter her trademark, and skip away with a grin  on her face. 

 

Then one day, she was sitting alone in her room, looking at a box of makeup and other smuggled in goodies she got from missions. Klaus had came in the room to sneak one of her jacket's away, but she had this look in her eyes that made him stop.

 

“Well hey there dearest! Come here often?” Klaus sat next to her chair, plopping on the ground with a soft thud. Allison flinched at the sudden company, but smiled back at him. 

 

“What is it now Klaus? Want to 'borrow' my nail-polish? Money?” She joked. He winked at her.

 

“Ah sister dear, I was just checking up on you! Though that leather jacket is quite eye catching.” 

 

Her eyes looked down at the box again. 

 

“I just… Am I a bad person, Klaus?”

 

“Morals are a fickle thing, dearie. What brought this up?” Klaus straightened up despite his laid back tone.

 

“Everything I want, I get; I thought that was a good thing, but it was last night. This guy, he recognized me from this movie role I got a while back. I used rumor to get him to take me on to a movie and dinner, and he gave me a necklace while we were eating,” Allison brought the jewelry out of the box.

 

“His girlfriend showed up while we were at dinner. Needless to say, I think I ruined a relationship because I didn't want to go see a movie alone.” She sighed, guilt dripping in her voice.

 

Klaus resisted sighing in relief; by all means, he felt bad for the guy, but it wasn't exactly the worst thing a person could do. 

 

“Well, I think the fact that you feel guilty is a good sign that you're a good person. You also save people on a day to day basis, so that's also a good thing. Plus, if you were a bad person, I don't think you'd have such lovely shoes!” He added. Allison relaxed and let out a little laugh. 

 

“Honestly, Allison? We're 13 years old. It's not the end of the world if you broke up some relationship that probably was going to end at some later point.” He patted her knee and sprung up. 

 

“Now let's go out, wear our best outfits out in the town, see a movie, and live out our teen years so good we forget them by we are 20.”

 

\---

 

Klaus was not enjoying his fresh new power. In fact, he felt that his father somehow picked this out for Klaus to punish him. 

 

At first, it was fine. Klaus just thought that it was a side effect of botched ADHD meds, that his mind was going a little to fast for his eyes.

 

Then he thought it was maybe something deeper in his mind, so he told his father about it. 

 

“Father? I think something is wrong.. At first, I thought that it was just a placebo of being of my medications, but I'm concerned I may have a disorder that causes illusions.” Klaus told him. "I've researched the topic, sir, and it would make sense.”

 

“Number four, tell me what you mean by ‘seeing people’.” Hargreaves said, sifting through a journal.

 

“Well, they seem to be injured and panicked. They keep telling me to help them, and somehow, they know my name. It started off with one person, but in some areas where I go there can be a lot more…” Klaus trailed off, thinking about when he went to sit with Ben for lunch and couldn't focus on a word the boy said because a man with a hole in his torso was screaming at Klaus that Ben was a murderer and a monster. 

 

Reginald looked up from his journal.

“Do you recognize these people?”

 

“Well, no, sir. I don't think I do. Though there was one man near Ben that I thought I recognized, I'm not sure from where.”

 

“Number four, I believe that these figures you are seeing are the dead in the form of specters.” Well, that was reasonable. Klaus decided that the universe hated him from the moment he took his first breath, so why not fuck his mind over with fucking ghosts. “In fact, I think your medication was dampening your powers. You will stop taking them at once.”

 

“Father, I've been seeing these figures while on my medication, so I don't think-” Klaus felt fear twist in his throat as he thought about the nights where he couldn't sleep, the fact he couldn't focus when even one person was talking over the other. He couldn't handle this, his father has to be wrong. 

 

“I switched your pills with sugar pills to see the outcome two weeks ago.” Graves declared while turning back to his work. “You will start training tomorrow.”

 

\---

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Late night talks

“We have names now, there’s no need to call us by our numbers.” Luther Hargreeves whispered to Pogo. Pogo turned to the boy, and so did the rest of the Hargreeves children. 

 

Out of all the children, Luther hated codenames more than anyone else. It made him feel like a tool, not a hero; no matter what the others said or thought about him, Luther felt like a person. 

 

So when Grace gave them the chance to have names, Luther was overcome with joy. The thing was that their father never called them by their names, and it all felt so…  _ pointless _ . Luther knew they all had responsibilities and a destiny to not be normal, but all he wanted to be called by was a simple name. Not to be remembered by a number. 

 

“Of course Master Luther. Now, for this session we will be learning about the how to present yourself in the French language…”

 

\---

 

“Number One, what are you doing out of bed?” Klaus heard his father demand from the main room. Klaus was currently hiding behind the sofa, trying not to breathe too loud. 

 

“I was getting water, sir.” Luther responded, and Klaus could hear the disdain in his voice. Klaus knew that Luther hated the numbers, and that his father didn’t care. 

 

“Is something wrong with Grace’s programming, then? If so, tell me immediately-”

 

“There is nothing wrong, sir, I just wanted to get up. I felt restless after a day of no missions, sir.” Luther spoke quickly. Klaus could something was off about the boy, but Reginald decided to accept it. 

 

“Fine.” Reginald left the room, and Klaus heard Luther take the biggest sigh of relief he’d ever heard. 

 

“Thought the old bastard would never leave, am I right?” Klaus said just loud enough for Luther to hear, still hiding. 

 

“Klaus? Where are you?” Luther looked around the room. Klaus waved his hand above the couch to wave Luther over. Klaus heard soft thudded footsteps come closer. Klaus patted the floor beside him and Luther obliged. 

 

“So, do you want to tell me the real reason what in christs name Luther-never -breaks-the-rules-Hargreeves is doing, breaking the rules?” Klaus asked quietly. Luther pulled at his hair.

 

“I wanted to be caught. I wanted dad to call me Luther, to recognize me for anything else then a number, other than a soldier, but I guess that’s all I’m good for.” Luther whispered, his typically strong voice cracking in a way that made Klaus shrink. Klaus rested a hand on his brothers back.

 

“You’re more than a soldier. Like when you play your records, just for everyone else to hear, just so it normalizes it all. You’re our brother, Luther.” They sat in silence after that. 

 

“Why are you here, Klaus?” Luther spoke up after a bit of the night passed on. Klaus froze up a bit. He looked up to the corner where a man dripping in sorrow and blood sat, staring at Luther and muttering something about mercy, revenge, and for Klaus to help him. 

 

“Just wanted to let off steam, attempted to break into our local liquor cabinet, and failed. I thought you were dad when you stomped in here. He’s never been too happy with my teenage rebellions.” Klaus elbowed Luther lightly. 

 

The two continued to whisper and share stories until they drifted back to their rooms.

 

\---

Klaus was enjoying making a nice soft mix of rum and coke when his Five decided to portal jump right onto the counter. This was a tad shocking, as it was currently 2:30 in the morning. 

 

“Um, hey?”  Klaus stated to the boy sitting on the counter. Five now had alcohol soaking his uniform PJ’s. Klaus started to shake back into reality, no matter how the faces only he could see told him otherwise. 

 

“Hi.” Five said back, exhaustion clear in his voice. 

 

“Come here often?”

 

“Oh ha-ha, very funny. Now, what is the shit on me? Why does it smell like shit?”

 

“That, dearest brother, was my late night drink. I was in the middle of mixing when you oh so kindly jumped in and splattered it everywhere.” Klaus stated, grabbing a dishcloth to wipe up anything he could. “Now tell me what  _ you’re  _ doing here.”

“If you must know, I’m practicing my powers. Not all of us would rather it waste us away, you know.” Five snapped. Klaus let the comment slide, knowing that Five was tired and angry. 

 

“Even superheroes need sleep, though, right? I’m pretty sure that’s in at least one comic book somewhere. Imagine a superhero that just helped people fall asleep. Wait, I know one!”

 

“Who?”

 

“Well Five, you should be ashamed! It’s dear old dad of course!” Klaus giggled at his own joke. Five repressed his own laughter for a smirk. 

 

“If I have to hear his speech about our destiny again, I think I’ll fall into a coma.” Five added tiredly. 

 

“You know, in the state your in, I think you may just end up taking a ten year nap anyways. Why don’t you go catch some shut eye, ey?” Klaus said after a few moments of laughter seceded. Five slid off the still wet counter without grace.

 

“I just… I need to be better. With the rest of you, everything comes natural. Sure, the others have to train too, but I just can’t get everything to _click_ right. Hence the spilled… vodka?”

 

“Rum and coke, actually.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“Besides that, you realize that it’s okay to make mistakes, right? You are an apple in the eyes of the people you save, in our eyes. You’ll get the hang of it, don’t worry. Now go get some sleep, Five.” 

 

A flash of blue left Klaus alone with spilled rum and three ghost that continue to haunt him well through-out time. 

\---

“Number Four, do you think I am stupid?”

 

“No, sir.”

 

“Then why do you test me in such trivial matters?” Reginald Hargreeves glowered down at the boy. The lights flickered around number four, fear and held back anger bubbling up.

 

This is exactly what Reginald wanted.

 

At exactly 6:37 A.M., Number Four had snuck out of his room and broke into the liquor cabinet; Reginald watched with rage as the boy drank his destiny away. At 8:00 A.M. in the morning, he called Four in his office for training. 

 

The boy now was staring at Reginald, and perhaps it was the effects of the alcohol draining from the boy’s system, but Four let loose of the tension in him and giggled. Reginald didn't understand what was wrong with this boy.

 

“Is this a  _ joke _ to you, Four?” Reginald hissed at him, but the boy kept giggling hysterically. The lighting in the room turned off and on erratically, a dull shake in the corners of the office. 

 

“You must learn to control your powers, Number Four. You were given something of power, and you will not lose yourself before you have even realized it.” Reginald whispered to the boy, but mostly to himself. 

 

Klaus passed out after vomiting on Reginald, and the boy woke up tucked into bed in fresh pajamas. 


	3. Chapter 3

“Who wants breakfast?” Grace Hargreaves warmly asked the silent hall. Diego had been up for hours, staring at the roof of his room, and for once wishing he couldn’t speak at all. 

 

Ben was gone. 

 

He was gone because the Umbrella Academy was flawed, because Diego wasn’t enough, because Alison couldn't help, because Luther couldn't do anything in time. 

 

Diego tried so hard to do everything he could to be strong and heroic, and he was neither; he was just a young boy who had lost his brother.

 

The funeral was pitiful; there were people who filed the streets, crying over the child they saw on TV. Diego knew some of them were relieved that the boy who had a monster inside him was no longer with the living. 

 

No noise was made in the hallway until there was a knock on his bedroom door, and Diego shut his eyes and screamed into his pillow. He heard Grace shuffle away. 

 

Then the window opened.

 

Diego’s head snapped up, and was startled to see Klaus failing to stand. 

 

“Well hey there, number two.” Klaus said, a tipsy tone brimming in his vocal chords. “Fancy seeing you here.” 

 

Klaus gave up on trying to stand, instead taking a more strategic decision to flop on the floor with his eyes wide open and staring at the ceiling. Diego started down at his brother with cold eyes.

 

“W-w-w-hat are you do-doing here?” Diego asked. He wanted to tear his tongue out for not being able to speak, especially when he was so filled with anger.

 

"I live here too, don't I?" Klaus remarked.

 

"Yeah, in your  _ own _ room." Diego stated, and Klaus flinched a little at that.

 

"I can't sit in there. Not alone. I can't tell what's real Diego, and I don't want what I see to be real. But I know he is I know he is." Klaus whimpered _. _

 

"When Five disappeared…. He didn't show up. I thought it was a Hargreaves thing, you know? Too fucking stubborn to show up to your goddamn brother who's begging for forgiveness. But then Ben was just  _ standing _ there. And I couldn't reach out to him when he asked me for help. Because I don't help." Tears leaked out of Klaus's eyes, and Diego sat down beside the mess of a brother he had.

 

"You're here now. I'm here." Diego went to his brother, pulling him into a hug. 

 

Diego needed to be strong, because his family, though broken, was still his family. This is what he does, this is his place. To help his family.

 

\---

 

Vanya hargreeves wasn't sure when Klaus started hiding in her room at night. All she knew is that she didn't ask, and he in return would listen to her practice. 

 

When she took up violin, it felt  _ right. _ Like nothing in her life before had ever been quite fitting until she played her first note, finished learning her first piece. So when Klaus sat in front of the door, eyes shut and ears open, she felt like she was reaching out to one of her siblings since the first time since Five disappeared.

 

He'd smile, and would clap loudly when she was over playing. (Even if she was only playing through scales.) Klaus made her feel that even if she played a wrong note, at least she was playing for some one.

 

One particular night he'd snuck in and shook her awake. 

 

"Vanya. Vanya. Vanya!" He had frantically whispered.

 

Vanya slowly opened her eyes. "What is it, Klaus?"

 

"I just… I need you to promise you'll never give up on playing. Promise me!" Klaus slurred. Vanya say up and sat for a moment. 

 

More often than not, Klaus didn't really speak to her. Their mornings were dedicated to violin. So this moment made Vanya feel like she actually mattered to him. That she wasn't just a human version of a record player. Even if he was drunk.

 

"Alright Klaus, I promise." She said warily. Vanya moved over so he could sit on the bed too. 

 

"Have you ever thought about playing the guitar?"

 

\---

 

Those nights didn't happen as often as they did after the  _ 'let's make a rock band to piss off dad'  _ incident. It was a mix of Diego sulking and Vanya being so sad that made playing the violin seem very unappealing. 

 

So when she started to play again, it wasn't a surprise to find Klaus showing up again. He was more in a daze now, almost like her playing entranced him. 

 

Every time he say, she started feeling a little more like they were actually family. 

 

\----

 

Klaus didn't think that his father cared enough about to check if he was in his room at night. In fact, he didn't even think that he cared at all, and the Klaus was more or less a lab rat. 

 

If his father cared, he'd let Klaus drink himself away in peace rather than throw him in a fucking playground for ghost. 

 

If he cared, he would understand that Klaus didn't know what was real and what wasn't anymore. 

 

So it was a surprise when Reginald started down at him when Klaus tumbled into his bathroom from the window at three in the morning. 

 

"Number four, explain your absence." Reginald barked at the boy. Klaus scrambled to get up, leaning on his bathtub. 

 

"I, I was just, well you see-" Klaus tried to come up with a lie while trying to keep a cool demeanor. He could feel his father's eyes burn Klaus down.

 

"Number four! How do expect to save anyone in this state! The world rest on your shoulders, and you can not fail! You must learn to conquer your fears. You must learn to use your powers." Reginald held a grip on Klaus's arm, and Klaus waited for the man to drag him away to the crypt.

 

He didn't. 

 

Reginald left, and Klaus crumpled to the floor. The buzz from the night had left him when his dad found him, and he was left to his own accord. 

 

So he packed his things, into a nice, neat bag. Klaus stared at it, like it was going to save him from all of his troubles. He pushed it underneath his bed, and felt safer. When it all became too much, Klaus knew all he needed was himself. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So,,, its been about two months since I posted? Whoopsies? Anyways, I feel like Diego really needed to have his comfort from Klaus to be geared toward being a caretaker. Cuz I do think Diego deserves to be comforted but I think for now this was my way of writing it out lol

**Author's Note:**

> So the one scene where Klaus is in his dad's office and Allison walks in and Klaus starts messing around to make here smile has really stuck with me for the last month thanks for asking bless up forgive any mistakes :))))))


End file.
